Tom Cuypers, It's Fucking Filter Bubbles!

postgraduaat digital storytelling
Mentoren / Mentors:
Pieter Blomme

“It’s Fucking Filter Bubbles” is a narrative podcast that mixes fiction and non-fiction. The project started with research into the invisible effect that filter bubbles have on our daily lives. Then a fictional story was created that serves to illustrate the dynamics and influences filter bubbles introduce in our lives. The research itself was then once again included as part of the actual story, so that both the characters and the audience can understand what the hell just happened.

The story is that of Henry, who sets up an experiment to try and repair his broken relationship with his father. They haven’t spoken for a long time because of a rivalry that has escalated. He is convinced that filter bubbles are to blame for the two of them growing apart and so he seeks to understand them. As an experiment, every night, he will enter into a filterbubble that resembles his dad’s. This way, he hopes to better understand his father. And by documenting the experience in a podcast, he tries to reach out to him. If he can get his father to listen, maybe he’ll understand.
But by recklessly diving into the experiment, he kickstarts a bunch of dangerous dynamics that will completely derail the experiment. And then Ed shows up…  

The podcast consists of four narrative episodes and a fifth analytical episode. This last episode goes through the research and explains some of the dynamics at play. But at the same time, this non-fiction episode is still a part of the narrative, as it is created within the story by the main character. It plays an important part in the climax, but by offering it to the audiences as a stand alone piece, it also works as a non-fiction, research-based presentation about filter bubbles.

 


You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, or via this link: https://www.tomcuypers.com/podcast